YOU CAN GO

Asked to create a dance for Greenville’s Year of Altruism, Hernan Justo readily agreed.

“I believe we, as artists, have a responsibility to express a positive message as much as we can,” said Justo, artistic director of Carolina Ballet Theatre.

Justo’s new work, “In/Humanity,” will be performed Saturday at the Peace Center’s Gunter Theatre.

Justo said the 50-minute modern ballet reflects the ideas behind the Year of Altruism, a community celebration of tolerance, diversity and compassion.

“The piece explores the human struggle of selflessness over selfishness, which the majority of us have experienced in our lives,” Justo said. “I want the ballet to demonstrate that doing good is harder than we think. It may require more effort, time or money.

“Thinking about yourself is easier,” Justo added, “but thinking about others gives you a sense of reward and accomplishment that selfishness can never offer.”

The piece features CBT’s nine professional company dancers and four trainees.

The dances are set to music — Rachmaninoff’s piano preludes and Sibelius’ “Valse Triste” — and also to spoken word — including poetry and excerpts from Anne Frank’s diary.

Individual dancers recorded their own voices for the spoken-word excerpts, so they’ll be dancing, uniquely, to their own narrations.

The dance closes with Aaron Copland’s popular “Fanfare for the Common Man.”

“I am personally drawn to the Year of Altruism because we are all instruments, capable of doing good and creating good from any situation,” Justo said. “Our hope is that, through our performance, we encourage others to understand, to forgive, to tolerate, to be patient, to accept and be open-minded.”

For the latest in local arts news and reviews, follow Paul Hyde on Facebook and Twitter: @PaulHyde7.